From Within
by followthedarke
Summary: Harry Potter is sick of being the bystander to fate and so he decideds to do something about it. He comes up with an alternative method to gain the information of the location of the horocruxs and to protect his friends H/D CO-WTITTEN JHOY/FOLLOWTHEDARKE
1. 1

From Within

Co-written by Followthedarke and Jhoy.

The yellowing gardens of Private Drive indicated that another heat wave was hitting England. The sun shone down relentlessly burning the grass. The air held the stench of decaying garbage and rotting foliage, but no one was around to smell it. The only sounds in Little Whinging were of TV sets and murmured chatter. Occasionally a warm breeze would sweep through the empty streets rattling loose gates and the odd pinwheels left out in a few yards.

At night the sounds differed slightly. Dogs bayed at what seemed to be nothing and the sound of their human owners coming home from work could now be heard. Car doors slammed, leather soles crunched on asphalt and then front doors were quickly closed before the sound of a number of locks were fumbled, latched and bolted closed. This racket was repeated over and over until everyone believed that they were now safe in their own home.

Very few inhabitants of Little Whinging knew the real larger reason behind this fear. One of those inhabitants was Harry James Potter, an unwilling resident of number four Private Drive. Number four Private Drive was remarkably identical to its neighboring houses, except for a whale of a boy who was currently striding down the garden path. He taps his meaty fist against the mahogany front door twice before a bony hand shoots out and tries to drag him into the house.

Aunt Petunia struggled to pull him in, as Dudley had once again failed his diet. He somehow spectacularly managaged to gain another stone. Aunt Petunia deftly slid the security chain home and proceeded to lock the multiple locks on the door once she had him inside. By the time she returned to the sitting room, Dudley was on his second packet of crisps. She stood there and watched him until he looked up at her and continued to eat what was his hand. Instead of starting a fight that Aunt Petunia knew she didn't want to win she picked up the news paper she had abandoned and sat back down.

After a brief period of dramatic sighs and disapproving tutting, Aunt Petunia rose from the floral monstrosity that dared to call itself an armchair. She tossed the newspaper into the ever growing pile beside the waste bin as she walked into the kitchen.

Harry looked up briefly from where he was on his knees scrubbing the tiles and reached out to snag the paper. "DEATH TOLL UP TO 32" the headline seemed to scream at him as Aunt Petunia drank a glass of Chardonnay from a bottle she kept in the refrigerator. Harry frowned and put the paper back onto the pile he took it from. Surely the ministry had noticed something by now. The muggle police were saying it was a new serial killer targeting their village for some reason, but Harry knew better. He had seen flashes of mad curly black hair disappearing around corners. He knew the death eaters were taunting him. Trying to draw him out and have him come to them. To do something rash. But if Sirius' death had any purpose, it was to teach Harry to think before he acted. So that is what he has been doing. Thinking.

Ignoring the ache in his knees and lower back Harry went back to thinking and concentrating on cleaning the tiles. His "dinner" was in the fridge and if the job wasn't adequate, he wouldn't be getting his meager rations.

Just as Harry was finishing up his body aching chore in the furthest corner of the room banging was heard on the front door. Uncle Vernon's booming voice demanded that he be let in accompanied his continued pounding. Harry didn't have to look up to know that Aunt Petunia had gotten up since her scurrying to comply as her heels made quick, short contact with the floor as she made her way to the front door. The man flounced into the kitchen leaving dusty foot shaped prints on the newly cleaned tiles and flopped into a chair next to the dinning room table. Harry forced down the rage that he started to feel in his chest and silently went to clean the mess he was now presented with, since he knew he would be made responsible for it.

Uncle Vernon looked disappointed that his obvious bait hadn't caught Harry attention in the way he wanted. At having being denied an opportunity to possibly shout at Harry, instead uncle Vernon launched into a speech about how they were not going to giving into this serial killer's scare tactic.

"We are going shopping tomorrow as a family," he said. "Dudley needs some new pants. I could do with a new suit for work and I know that you, my dear, have had your eye on that new tan coat that you saw being advertised in the weekly," Uncle Vernon concluded as he grinned at Aunt Petunia who had a look of awe on her face as he looked back at him. Dudley's attention had already been transferred back what he was now eating.

Harry looked on disgusted at the scene they presented. No one would be surprised if the woman started in on a round of applause for the barrel of a man and what he had just said. Harry knew that when Uncle Vernon said "family" it didn't include him, but he didn't care.

Having the house to himself would be perfect, Harry thought as he got up from the floor and stretched his bent back causing it to pop and grate with each new movement. He stiffly made his way to the fridge and grabbed his dinner that was covered in saran wrap. Tonight's dinner would be the last of the lasagna from two days ago that he would have to reheat and eat with a glass of water. He saw no salad and chips and no lemonade. He wasn't allowed to drink any of Dudley's soda pop and besides that, there was only the Chardonnay and two beers belonging to Uncle Vernon.

Harry was aware that he had lost quite a bit of weight once he was back with his aunt and uncle, but there was little he could have done about it and he other things he needed to work on that were a bit more pressing. After the microwave pinged, telling him his not so fresh meal was ready to be consumed, he made his way up to his room with the plate in one hand and a cup of water in the other. Harry sat down on his bed and brooded while he slowly ate until her heard hedwig flap her wings against her cage.

He placed his meal, that he was in no rush to eat at the moment, on the overflowing bedside locker, and opened the door for his owl to hop out unto his arm. He took her to the window that was already open and petted her head before opening it even wider.

"Have a good hunt Hedwig," Harry tells his owl before offering her up to the great outdoors. He stayed at the window for a while as he watched her fly away in search of her own meal. When the owl turned into a speck in the black of night he turned back to his slightly cooled dinner and dug in thoughtfully. Tomorrow he would be putting his plan into action and after tomorrow, one way or another, he would never have to see these people that he was forced to call family ever again.

A/N:

In the UK we measure in stones and pounds. In America a stone is equivalent to 14lbs (6.4 kg).

So, intrigued? Please review and rate!


	2. 2

From Within

Co-written by Jhoy and Followthedarke

Whoops! I forgot the disclaimer in the last chapter! Well obsviously we don't own Harry Potter and his wizarding world neither are we making any profit from this work of fiction.

* * *

Harry frowned as he looked around the room that he was suppose to be able to call his own. He was so hopeful when he moved out from under the stairs, but this just proved to be just a bigger placed to be locked into. The window was the only real upside in the change of rooms. All of his belongings were tightly packed into his trunk that sat next to the door. Hedwig hooted happily in her cage as Harry moved across the room and picked her up erasing the last trace of himself from the room. He pulled the door shut before carefully carrying Hedwig in her cage and his trunk down the stairs.

When Harry got to the bottom of the stairs, he put the trunk down and placed Hegwig on it before walking away to look at the living room, the kitchen and out the back doors to a garden that he helped weed more times that he could remember. He felt odd looking around. He knew it wasn't going to miss it, but it was still the place he grew up. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of pop. No one was there to see him, and he wouldn't be there when they got back from their little 'family' shopping trip. Harry walked over to the double door that lead to the back lawn and garden to look at Aunt Petunia's dying petunias.

He took another swing at the cold bubbly drink as he saw the brown leaves everywhere. He looked up into the sky and saw that the light was dying. It was time he left. The yellow grass broke under his feet as he turned and walked back into the house. He place the half empty bottle on the dinning room table and walked back to Hedwig and his trunk. He unbolted the door and pulled it open before picking up Hedwig's cage and placing it outside before pulling his trunk behind him without a backward glance.

Harry looked around at what was a totally average street of Little Whinging. Upon not seeing anyone outside their homes or walking along the street he lifted Hedwing's cage and held his other arm out for her jump unto. He placed the cage back down on the ground and reached into his pocket to take out a note that he deftly tied to Hedwig's leg. **T****ake ****c****are of her **was all the note said. Hedwig looked at him with sad eyes. Eyes that were far too intelligent for an owl, and nipped his finger in a loving matter as he lightly brushed the feathers around her face. Harry felt his windpipe clench painfully as he looked down on his feathered companion.

"You know the drill Hedwig. Stay away from strange people and creatures and get to Hermione as fast as you can and thank you for being such a good owl," Harry said before the owl hooted softly and butted her head against her master's chin before turning around on his arm and taking flight. Harry shook his head in a vain effort to stop the tears that had formed from escaping. Harry roughly dragged his sleeve across his eyes and pointed his hand up in the air as if he was trying to hail a cab.

Harry jumped slightly when a purple triple-decker came hurdling towards him out of nowhere and stopped short of hitting him, or so it seemed to the young wizard. Self consciously Harry tugged at his hair, which he had been growing out, and muttered the words "Leaky Cauldron" to the middle aged wizard that stood at the door of the knight bus. The hot breath of his yawns went across Harry's face as he boarded the bus. Harry slid past the man dragging his trunk behind him along with Hedwig's empty cage and took a seat near the middle of the bus.

An old lady was humming happily to herself as knitting needles flew in and out in by themselves a continuous pattern as though dancing. She barely spared Harry a glance before she went back watching to her knitting to make sure it stuck to the pattern she wanted. Harry glanced up as the bus conductor shuffled his way down the isle. When he got to Harry he tapped him on the shoulder and requested the eleven sickles bus fare. Harry reached into his pocket and had to wiggled a little so as to get the change from the bottom of his pocket. He handed it over to the conductor without a word and turned his attention to the passing scenery out the window. It was starting to get darker outside, but Harry could tell that they were defiantly going faster than normal muggle transport.

Harry opened his trunk and careful held on it so it would not slide away from him as the buss took another sharp turn. He pushed a few things aside before pulling his backpack from within the dark confines of his well used trunk with everything that he had packed in it as his summer had progressed. He placed the bag on the seat next him and was securing the lid on his trunk so it would stay closed when the bus suddenly snapped to a stop, causing Harry's head to collide with the seat in front of him. Rubbing his forehead and grumbling something about someone would have to stop the bus at the moment when he looked out the window to see where he was. There swung the sign for the Leaky Cauldron. Harry quickly gabbed his bag, trunk and birdcage before quickly stepping off of the bus. As the bus quickly disappeared he realized how he missed hearing Stan's voice.

Harry turned and adjusted his backpack over his shoulder before he walked up to and pushed past the old creaky door of the Leaky Cauldron and entered into its welcoming but dark depths. There were two people sitting at the bar. Harry could tell that one of the patrons was already passed out, and his fellow drinker looked like he would soon be following him. An old witch was sitting in a corner of the room blowing at the purple hazy cloud that partially hid her from view as she nursed some form of blazing drink.

Harry walked up to and looked down the dusty cherry wood slab until he saw the bald head of Tom the barkeep and owner. Harry beckoned to him and Tom limped over, the perpetual scowl on his face.

"Ah Mr. Potter, will you be wanting your usual room?" Tom asked as he half heartedly wiped what Harry assumed to be a dish cloth across the counter.

"No thanks Tom. I was just wondering if could I leave my trunk here and come back for it later. I've some shopping to do, and I don't want to be lugging it around with me all night," Harry explaned.

Tom frowned, causing his forehead to crease, then his eyes opened wider as something dawned on him. He took out his wand and tapped them against Hedwig's empty cage and Harry's trunk and both shrank in size till they were no bigger than Harry's thumb as they now sat in his palm.

"I forget you're underage Mr. Potter," Tom said before he grunted something that sounded like goodnight to the adolescent before he went back to cleaning the counter with what appeared to be a crossbreed of a very dirty and holey looking dish cloth and some type of dust life form upon a second longer look.

Harry nodded a goodnight to Tom, placed his items in his pocket and walked out the back of the Leaky Cauldron to the entrance of Diagon Alley. Harry slipped the backpack off his shoulders and rummaged through it looking for what he needed. He pulled what looked like a brown lump of hair, a thick hair band, and a black box with the gold script Elizabeth Arden across it. Harry opens the little box and very quickly withdrew a sponge from inside. He dipped it in the beige looking solid the box contained and looked into the lid, which contained a mirror, and swiped it across his face paying careful attention to his forehead.

Once Harry had decided that his scar was adequately hidden by the foundation he had stolen from his Aunt Petunia's dresser, he started work on the next part of his disguise. He pulled the hair band over his head, then pushed it back over this hair, making sure that it was firmly in place. After checking in the little mirror of the foundation compact to see that all his hair was truly out of his face, Harry then puts on the mousy brown coloured wig. As Harry carefully fixes it so that it looked at least semi-normal he starts to congratulate himself on coming up with this disguise.

Now he takes out one last packet from his backpack. He opens it and affixed, what was meant to be a joke mustache, to his upper lip and grinned at his reflection. A pale boy with mousy raggedy brown hair and a matching mustache, in colour at least, looked back at him. Harry knew it wouldn't fool anyone, but he couldn't stop himself from buying and trying them on. He puts them back into their box and opens another one and pulls out a more life like and thinner looking version. He presses it down onto his top lip and checks the mirror again. Now he declares his disguise complete and placed the compact back in his bag. He gathered everything else up and placed them back into this bag before walking across the courtyard to stand facing the back wall.

Harry tapped his wand against the stones of the Leaky Cauldron's brick wall, and they melted away to show the entrance to Diagon Alley. Although it was not that long after sunset, most of the stores had already closed. Not many people, in the muggle or wizarding world milled around outside anymore. Harry quickly made his way over to Ollivanders.

Ollivander was serving a customer when Harry walked into the well lit and very organized shop. A middle aged witch by the name of Gertrude, who seemed to have lost her wand, was asking Ollivander it find her a proper replacement.

"I can not give you a new wand," the old wizard tells her.

"And why not? I need a wand. I'm not as good with wandless magic as I use to be," Gerturude continued.

"Because it isn't broken Gerturude," he tells her looking very tired.

"I know it's not broken. I didn't break it. I just can't find it and I've been looking for days," she said as she beings to look upset as Ollivander.

"Have you ever thought of having your husband cast an _A__ccio_ charm?" he asks her. The woman now blushes deeply at not having thought of doing that herself.

"Thank you for your time," she stutters before quickly leaving the shop.

Ollivander looks up at Harry and smiles.

"How can I be of service sir?" Ollivander asks politely. Harry smiles at Ollivander, happy to see that his disguise worked on the old wand maker.

"Well Ollie, I thought I had an appointment. I can always come back later," Harry said, making no attempt to mask his voice. Ollivander's eyes grew comically wide, he did recognize Harry's voice, even if it didn't match the face that was looking back at him.

"Harry my boy. What a good disguise. How did you manage it without charms? A potion? No matter. Come into the back and I will sort you out as promised," Ollivander told the young man as he motioned for him to go into the back of the shop. Ollivander then brushes past Harry to lock the door to the shop and turning the sign around to say **CLOSED** to the outside world.

Harry sat in one of the two available chairs in the back of Ollivanders Wand Shop while the owner himself was half way up a ladder with some boxes under his arm and adding more. As he pulled down each one he muttered to himself too low for Harry to understand what he was saying. Ollivander carefully made his way back down the ladder and over to the desk in front of Harry to unload his small burden of several wand boxes.

"South American bloodwood with crushed griffin beak and unicorn hair," Ollivander said as he opened one of the slim boxes to reveal the first wand. Harry carefully picks up the wand before swishing it and causing a small fire to start in the far corner of the room opposite him.

"Aguamenti," Ollivander said as he pointed his wand in the direction of the small fire to have water come out of his wand to douse it. He then frowned as he looked back at the wand. _The wood is correct,_ he thought, _but not the inside_. Ollivander shuffled his way back up the ladder and gave it a push towards the right end of the shelves. He picked out several more of the slim boxes and brought them to Harry.

After trying various bloodwood wands containing things like, veela blood, crushed moonstone and belladonna root Harry finally felt a tingle in his palm and a rush of warmth when he picked up his fifth wand. That feeling was clearly shown on his face causing Ollivander to comment on this development.

"Curious Mr. Potter. As I said in our letters, no wand should suit you as well as your current one, but this one seems to suit as well, if not better. You never cease to amaze Harry. That one is South American Bloodwood, with silver and werewolf claw. The silver and werewolf claw make it unstable and only a very powerful wizard could bend this wand to their will."

Harry frowned at this. He hadn't wanted a super powerful wand, just one that he could use without the ministry catching him and one that wouldn't be instantly recognized as Harry Potter's Wand, but perhaps it was for the best. He may be in need of such a wand to help him do what he had to. Ollivander cast several spells over Harry's new wand and then over Harry himself. These were the spells Ollivander told him would stop the ministry from detecting him when he did underage magic. Changing his wand only did half the job.

After a cup of tea and silted conversation about what Harry planned to do next, Harry handed over the twelve galleons that Ollivander was due for his new wand and thanked the wizard for his help and left the shop. Harry quickly made his way towards Gringotts and walked through the doors past the new security troll. Gringotts was very different from when Harry had been there first. After several break in attempts Security had been stepped up in a big way. They hired more trolls, had sphinxs on active guard beyond their assigned vaults and many spells that the ministry had frowned on glowed in different areas of the bank. Harry made his way up to one of the goblins that manned the long reception desk.

"I would like to make a withdrawal," Harry said before pushing a small gold key across the table. The goblin looked at him over the edge of his glasses and wrote something on a piece of parchment.

"If you could please place a drop of blood here to confirm you identity Mr. Potter, I can then call a goblin to assist you," the creature told him without a hint of surprise or curiosity at his appearance. Harry tried not to frown in disappointment at not fooling the goblin as he placed his thumb against the paper. As he felt a sharp prick against his skin he quickly pulled his hand away to suck on his thumb to diminish the pain and hopefully stop it from continuing to bleed. They both watched as the parchment glowed green before their eyes.

At that moment Griphook appeared out of a near by office and walks over to a teller next to Harry. He talks to the goblin for a few moments before turning to face the boy who was still sucking his thumb.

"Take your key with you Mr. Potter and I shall take you down to your vault," Harry is told. He nods his head and grabs the key from the counter top. As he followed Griphook, he tried to make as little noise on the marble floors as possible to decrease any attention he might receive from other bank customers. Harry hardly enjoyed the ride down to his vaults as his mind was full of what he had to do tonight. Gripphook quickly stepped out of the cart when it came to a complete stop with Harry following him.

They came to a stop and Gripphook stepped aside for Harry to use his key to open the door to his vault. The crest on the door, while familiar, had changed somewhat. The Potter family crest, which featured just a feathered sallet, had changed slightly. There were now three ravens on a shield which were now part of the crest and sallet had it's visor raised reveling a skull that stared eerily out at Harry.

Griphook noted Harry's stare and stated. "Now that you are the last descendant of both Potter and Black, Mr. Potter, the family vaults and crests have combined to become Potter-Black. You will find that the vault is also larger to accommodate both fortunes. You now also own a great deal of property along with shares in several prominent wizarding companies. I have been placed in charge of your gold Mr. Potter and if I may say so, I have been doing quite well." Harry blinked slowly as he tried to take all this information in. Harry knew Sirius had made him his heir but Harry hadn't really thought about what that would mean.

"I can get you the titles to your land and wealth Mr. Potter, for vaults of this size we can also offer you a blood key. They work similar to a port key, but of course they need a drop of your blood, or blood of a specified other to work. They transport you directly into your vault, and you need only to grasp it tightly to leave again," Griphook explained as he smiled up at Harry. His yellow pointy teeth were hardly comforting but Harry nodded his head in understanding and acceptance of the new service.

Continuing to smile the goblin gestured for Harry to open the door with his key. As he was about to push the door open Griphook cleared his throat causing Harry to turned to look at him.

"I will be getting you a blood key and your titles now Mr. Potter. Will you be staying long? I have much to put in order," Griphook explained.

"I have a few things to do in my vault. I will probably still be inside when you return," Harry told Griphook. The goblin nodded and walked back to the cart which quickly disappeared from view once he got it started.

Harry glanced again at the newly formed crest before he walked into the vault without bothering to conceal the gasp that came from his lips. The left and right walls were lined with bookcases that were filled with dusty tomes. The north wall held armor and clothes in an open style wardrobe. A cough startled Harry and he snapped his mouth shut from where it had fell open, as he turned around to see who was there. A large portrait with a golden frame looked at Harry curiously.

"Hello sir, I am Ignotus Peverell. Who are you, pray tell?" the face in the painting told and asked Harry. Harry frowned. He was pretty sure he knew from the Weasleys family tree that the Peverells were one of the older pure-blood families and that they connected the Potters with most of the pure-blood families of Britain and France.

"I am Harry Potter sir. Son of James and Lilly Potter and Sirius Black's heir," Harry said in what he hoped was an authoritative voice.

"A descendant of mine then? Excellent! It has been many years since I have had a visitor here in these vaults, shall I explain the sorting procedure here Harry?" The portrait asked as he looked hopefully at Harry. It seemed very glad of the company and as Harry looked around he knew he had no hope in finding anything he wanted in the expanses of this new vault. So he turned and nodded at the portrait in acceptance of his help.

"Please," Harry also replied as his manners kicked in.

He also noticed that Ignotus' was the only portrait in the vault. _He must be awful__ly__ lonely,_ Harry thought as he remembered how much the portraits at Hogworts interacted with each other as well with the students and professors.

"Do you see that black book with the a red strip on the top and bottom of the spine?" Ignotus asked Harry.

"Where?" Harry asked him as he just saw the vast amount of books in front of them.

"It's on this shelf here. The one closest to us. It's on the end, on the left, four shelves up from the bottom," Ignotus explained as Harry stepped closer to the bookcase and moved his hand in accord to what he was being told.

"This one?" Harry asked as he laid his hand what he beveled to be the book the talking picture told him. It had the red stripes and it was on the end of the of the forth shelf.

"That's it my boy," Ignotus proclaimed. "That is the directory of all the books here. Hold it in your hands, think of something you want to know, then open it. It will give you a list of all the books that would be able to help you find what you want. Once it is here to be found in the first place that is," Ignotus said with a grin on his face. Harry looked less then impressed as he looked down at the book he now held.

"What's wrong?" he asked the boy.

"You said that it tells you what books you need to read, but does it tell where each book is too? I don't know where any of the books are never mind what they look like," Harry explained as he looked back at Ignotus.

"Oh," he exclaimed. "There is more to the book," he said. "The last person didn't think to ask until after they took the book and had to come back to ask me how they found the book they wanted," Ignotus explained with a new smile. "As for your question, the book works with that trunk next to your foot," Ignotus said with a nod.

Harry looked down at the trunk that he made sure not to kick when he was getting the book from it's shelf. He crouched down and gave it a closer look now that it had been brought to his attention.

"The list of books that you see in the directory will appear in that trunk. It's a bottomless trunk too, so you can hold other things in there if you wanted to. They won't go anywhere and no one else can access the trunk but the owner, that now being you Mr Potter, I take it," Ignotus said as Harry now stood.

As clever as all this was, he couldn't stop himself from thinking of the trunk that Barty Crouch Jr used to hide Mad Eye Moody in not that long ago.

"Have you seen one before?" Ignotus asked him.

"Yeah I have," Harry confessed.

"Most of the old pure-blood families have one. It's no surprise that you have seen one before now," the painting commented. Harry looked up when he heard a note of sadness in the painting's voice, to see the man picking something off of his sleeve.

"So I just have to think of what I want to know about and this book shows me a list of the books that it took from in here and placed in this trunk for me to read?" Harry asked as he walked closer to the Ignotus. The image of a man looked up unable to hide it's willingness to help and talk. Harry practiced using the directory book under Ignotus's guidance until most of his questions had been answered about it.

"I should be going," Harry said when he couldn't put it off any longer.

"I guess so," Ignotus said as he settled down even more into his seat. Since he was prepared to be alone he didn't show any surprise or tried to get the young man to say any longer. He did live in a vault after all. He looked over his thin golden frame and watched Harry as he went about doing what he had to.

Harry placed a sizable amount of galleons into the trunk he was just using to retrieve books with along with a few books on the dark arts that he came across as he tried out the trunk and guidance book. As he looked around the vault for anything else he may consider useful he came across a case of already made potions along with a few other things that may be useful during his mission.

Harry thought it was time for him to try out his new wand and thought that a simple shrinking spell should be easy enough. Ignotus' eyes widened when he saw the cherry coloured wand but he said nothing as he heard Harry cast the shrinking spell. Bloodwood wands were rare for a reason after all.

"_Reducio_," was vibrated around the vault in Harry's voice as he pointed his wand at his new treasures. The trunk with it's newly acquired treasures shrunk down and sat on a galleon as it waited to be picked up. As Harry held it in the palm of his hand, he remembered he other trunk that Tom had shrunken for him back at the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry took the other trunk out of his pocket and placed it in the same spot he took the other trunk from.

"_Engorgio,_" Harry said to watch his trunk grow back to it's original size. In it was his family album, along with his wand and several other personal effects that he couldn't keep with him. Harry pocketed the other trunk while he did a mental check of what he needed to do while he was still here. He was walking back towards the portrait when he reached into this coat and pulled out two letters.

"I will be coming back for that chest," he tells the image that looks back at him. "If I successfully complete this plan of mine. But if I don't," Harry added. "I have two friends that will come here looking for these letters," Harry said as he raised them a little higher. "Would you mind holding on to them for me until either of us show up?" Harry asked.

"Of course not. I would be honored to," Ignotus replied. He watched the close up view of green eyes as Harry gently wedged the letters between his canvas and the frame. "May I ask your friends names?" Ignotus asked him.

"Herminome Granger and Ronald Weasley. Their my best mates," Harry said with a pause as he looked down.

"I'll make sure that they'll get them if they show up lad," Ignotus promised.

"Thanks," Harry said with a smile as he looked up. "And if I do come back, would you mind leaving the vault?" Harry asked him.

"Leave the vault?" the painted man asked in disbelief. He hadn't been anywhere else but the vault for the last, he didn't know how many decades.

"You look a little lonely in here. I thought you could do with some company and we are family. Kinda," Harry told him. Ignotus was speechless as he looked back at him. "I'll get your answer when I get back," Harry said as he smiled even wider before heading out of the gold filled vault.

Ignotus watched his descendant leave knowing that he would be back. He was pretty sure that he had seen the invisibility cloak he had won off of Death in the boy's bag and if he indeed had that, he knew it would take a lot to keep him from doing what he had to. Ignotus sat back and thought about all of this, after all what else had he to do in the vault of the richest boy in Britain.

When Harry emerged from his vault he saw that Griphook was waiting for him with a brown envelope. When he got closer he saw that the goblin was also holding a ruby pendant. The thickness of the gold chain left no doubt that it was meant to be worn by a man. The ruby that hung from the chain looked like it was continuously moving on the inside. As the gem twisted slightly on its chain Harry saw that it had the Gringotts' symbol on back of it. After explaining that this was his blood key and how it worked Griphook gave it to Harry who looped it over his head. The gem itself felt warm against his chest.

"Look over these papers once you get home Mr. Potter to make sure all is in order and such. If you have any questions don't hesitate to owl me," Griphook told him as he handed him the large brown envelope. He then lead the way back to the cart and took Harry back up to the main floor of the bank. Harry thanked the goblin for his help before walking out of Gringotts and back unto Diagon Alley.

Harry now wished that he had worn a hat as part of his disguise so it would look a bit more natural for him to be holding his hair as he kept it from being blown off by a gust of wind. Harry carefully made his way to the side street that lead to Knockturn Alley before slipping out of sight. He passed a man that was staring at the sky muttering about a second coming, an old hag that tried to sell him an amulet of protection and a small nymph that looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.

Harry saw his destination just ahead of him. A dreary run down looking inn called the "Black Asp". The words were shaped by pictures of black asp's themselves as they moved between each letter. You would have to stand and wait for them to be in the right position to actually read the words, but then the snakes themselves did help. Harry smiled at having got here without anyone acting like they recognized him.

Harry walked past the inn and into the gap that existed between it and the building next to it. He walked backwards into the shadows before he tugged his invisibility cloak out of his rucksack along with a self inking quill and some parchment. Harry secured the cloak around himself before entering the inn.

The inside of the inn was totally different from its dilapidated outside. Harry looked around the lobby that felt liked it belonged a muggle's five star hotel. A three star at the very least. The floor was gleaming black marble. Harry wouldn't be surprised if it was all one big stone. The receptionist's desk was a dark oak with gold trimmings that sat in front of a wall with snake motif wallpaper. The receptionist herself was a young lady of about twenty years. She had dirty blonde hair that was tied back in a ponytail. She wore a plain white shirt that was covered by a black fitted waist coat that went lower then the desk would let him see, with a little gold snake on it and the words "Black Asp" written above it where you would expect to find a name tag.

Harry grinned, _T__his place was perfect_. It screamed money at anyone that dared to enter the building. Harry found an out of the way corner and wrote a note in his best handwriting before making his way back to the receptionist's desk and placing it in front of the receptionist when she wasn't looking. He was careful not to let his hand slip outside the confines of the cloak incase anyone moved through the lobby.

As she turns back she sees it right away and looks at it with a great deal of interest as picks it up and reads it aloud. **Tell your manager there is someone that wishes to meet with him ****privately.**The girl hummed at the message before looking around the lobby and shrugging her shoulders before walking off. Harry found a safe place to stand as he waited to see if she would indeed bring the manager or if he had to find him, himself.

Within a few minutes she returned with a similarly dressed brunette man showing that he wore black pants while she wore a normal looking black skirt that fully reached the floor. The man Harry assumed to be the manager looked at the note and frowned before looking around the room. Harry moved closer to tap him on his shoulder put pulled his arm slightly to the right instead. The man jumped in fright, but followed Harry's lead none the less and moved over to that side of the lobby with the receptionist looking on.

"I wish to stay here in your establishment, but I need something from you first," Harry whispered into the man's ear. The man shivered slightly as Harry's breath puffed across his sensitive ears.

"Follow me sir. We can continue this to my office," the man said quietly without looking where he thought Harry was.

"Lead the way," Harry told him before following the man with his wand at the ready.

The office itself was unimpressive. A safe took up most of one wall with a large oak desk, not unlike the receptionists desk, dominated another wall. The manager made his way back there and sat down.

"Could you make yourself visible sir? It is quite disconcerting talking to thin air," the man said looking down at his desk as he and no idea where Harry was standing and didn't want to look like a fool speaking in the wrong direction. Harry couldn't stop from grinning at the man's nervousness.

"I wish to have a wizard's vow with you sir," Harry said as he kept himself covered. "I will be staying here for at least a month, and I don't want anyone knowing I am here, or who I even am. I will need a fake name to be put on my room, and I will wish to change it later," Harry told him before he threw the bag of coins on the table that he had picked up from the vault. "I think you will find plenty of galleons in there to make it worth your wild," Harry said as he moved to a different side of the desk now that man knew where he was standing. The manager frowned at the bag before he picked it up to look inside. He failed to conceal his sharp intake of breath when he realized just how much was in there.

"I think we have a deal," the manager said as he held out his hand. Harry moved to stand in front of him before he took off the cloak and grasped the man's hand.

"Do you swear to hide my identity, and to the best of your ability let no one find out that I, Harry James Potter, am staying at your inn?" Harry smiled menacingly at the man to let him know he was serious.

"I so swear, on my integrity as a wizard," the manager mumbled. He seemed to be in shock as Harry pulled his hand from his just as the red smoke disappeared from between their palms.

"I am Alonius Herkly," the manager said to introduce himself as he recovered from learning who he was talking a wizard's vow with. He reached into his desk and pulled out a key which he handed to Harry. Harry looked down and saw that its tag had the number fifteen on it.

"This way sir," Alonius said before leaving the room.

Harry followed him under his cloak, back out into the lobby, up a set of stairs and down a carpet lined hallway to a room with number fifteen written on the door in gold lettering. The manager placed his hand on the door and it opened for him allowing them to step in side.

"The rent is one hundred and twenty galleons a week, please pay by Friday. Since today is Thursday you can pay next Friday with the amount for today included. That would be seventeen galleons and fourteen sickles. If you wish to order room service, just call out "Fifteen" with nothing said just before or right after, and the designated house elf will appear," the manager said to Harry's back as he looked around the grandest room he had ever been in.

Harry turned and smiled before nodding his head in understanding. The manager nodded his head in turn and left the room closing the door behind him. Harry threw his cloak over a very soft looking chair and kicked off his shoes next to it. He pulled his shrunken possessions from his pockets and placed them on a table he passed before flopping down onto the bed and sighed happily. For now he was safe and away from the Dursleys and for once everything was going exactly as planned.

* * *

**A/N: **

Sallet - a light medieval helmet, usually with a vision slit or a movable visor.

So that one review is looking very lonely! Please R & R, any guesses as to what Harry is up to?

What do 'ye think!


	3. 3

From Within

Co-written by Jhoy and Followthedarke.

* * *

Harry yawned and stretched out his long frame from the tips of his fingers to the tips of his toes. He was slightly disorientated when his feet didn't hit the wall. His bedroom at the Dursley's wasn't very large and Harry had grown over the winter while he was at Hogswarts. He had been meaning to move his bed back to the way it was a last year, but he hadn't gotten around to doing it yet.

Harry opened his eyes and panicked slightly when he saw the gold snakes jump out at him from the black background they were on. As he scooted backwards on the bed away from them he realized that it was just wallpaper and as he looked around the room he remembered where he was and why he was there. Harry stood and stretched once more. He pulled his shirt back down as he turned and looked at the bed. He saw that he had smugged makeup all over the previously pristine pillow case. Harry took out his new wand and aimed it at the mess. It wouldn't do for anyone to know that he was trying to cover something up. Even if it might just be a house elf.

"_Scourgify," _Harry said as he watched what was left of the foundation that he used the day before was removed from the pillow and disappeared into thin air. Speaking of house elves, Harry realized that he was very hungry. He looked into a mirror that was on his side of the bed and fixed his wig before moving some of the hair down to cover his forehead. His mustache was still in place so he didn't touch it.

"Fifteen!" Harry yelled unsure as to how loud the summons had to be. A moment later a house elf dressed in a longer version of the receptionists fitted waistcoat appeared in the middle of the room facing Harry. Large bisque orbs stared at him awaiting a command. The house elf reminded Harry of Dobby except the eye colour and ear length was different.

"What is for breakfast today?" Harry asked in what he hoped to be an authoritative voice.

"Whatever the Master desires," the elf squeaked. Harry looked thoughtful as he figured out what he wanted for breakfast.

"I'll have some strawberry pancakes with some more strawberries in a bowl on the side with a cup of pumpkin juice," Harry told the waiting elf.

"Yes Master," it said before it popped off. What to do until the house elf came back? Harry wondered for a moment as he looked around the room with day light coming in through the windows. He saw Hedwig's shrunken cage next the trunk he shrunk back at the vault. He walked over and looked at both of them before picking up the trunk and placing it on the floor a good distance from anything.

"_Engorgio," _Harry muttered a little sleepily as he swished of his wand the right way to accompany the spell. While the trunk went back to its original size Harry turned his back on it as he picked up his rucksack and pulled out the few pieces of clothing that he had brought with him. He tossed them on the bed before putting his new wand inside the bag and pitting back on the floor again against the bed.

He turned around and saw that his new trunk was back to the size he remembered it being as he walked into the bathroom for a shower before his breakfast showed up. Twenty minutes later Harry emerged from the bathroom leaving tropical smelling steam behind him as he walked across the floor with the most decadent towel he had ever felt wrapped around his waist. He had rubbed off most of the water, but a few still clung to his wig that he had forgotten to take off and it were dripping unto his shoulders.

He walked over to the bed and ran the other towel he had in his hand across his back, over his shoulder and the last wet hairs of his wig before throwing it aside to began dressing. He slipped the shirt on over his head first. As he did the last button on his teal coloured shirt he remembered how Hermione had bought it for him last Christmas, saying that getting him a book would have been too predictable. Next were a new pair of briefs that he had bought to hide the fact he also bought a wig. Lastly were the only pair of fitted black trousers that he owned. He will have to buy a few more of those.

Harry's feet remained bare as he lifted his bag and walked over to and stood next to a gray coffee table. He looked through it until he pulled out his money pouch and a wrinkled piece of paper that had a list written on it and placed them both on the table before dropping his bag on the floor once again. Harry was just about to sit down on the leather sofa opposite the coffee table when a pop interrupted his thought process. The house elf silently placed a tray on the table in front of him and popped out of the room before Harry was able to thank the creature. Scowling Harry reminded himself that he would need to become less kind to the help or he would blow his cover.

Harry's mouth watered as he inhaled the scent of his breakfast. The pancakes were warm and fluffy, the syrup was sweet and sticky, the strawberries were fresh and firm and pumpkin juice was just what he need to wash it all down. After practically wolfing down his breakfast, Harry sauntered back into to the bathroom to wash his hands. While he was there he fixed his wig and this time used a glamor charm instead of makeup to conceal his scare and slight change the colour of his skin. Harry then walked back into the rest of his rooms and finished getting dressed. He had the money pouch secured to his black outer robe, his wand was up she sleeve and his list was in his pocket. He had a long day of shopping ahead of him and he was ready for it even if he wasn't exactly looking forward too it.

Harry brought his hand up over his eyes to avoid the harsh glare of the full sun in his face as he walked out of the Black Asp. He walked slowly, avoiding the crowds that was milling around. Harry had quite a bit of things to buy today and he decided to leave his purchases in Knockturn till last. He quickly entered onto the undeniably cheerier Diagon Alley and entered Madam Malkin's. She was quickly at his side asking him how she may help him. He whispered slowly to her telling her exactly what he wanted as he suppressed his manners. They would only make him stand out and that was not part of the plan.

Several highly priced robes, pants and shirts later Harry was leaving Robes For All Occasions and continuing on on his shopping spree. He bought a new owl next. It was a rather elegant looking but common burrowing owl. Its gold and black feathers ruffled as he petted her gently. Harry bought some owl treats and food but forwent the cage since he already had one. Harry told the owl to go to his room at the Black Asp and that he had left his bathroom room window open before he continued on his way.

Harry bought a new quill set before he went for lunch in one of Diagon's over priced cafés. He hated spending so much when he would be just as happy eating where he normally did when he was in Diagon Alley, but he couldn't go the places he would normally be found. Once he finished his tossed salad and thinly sliced roast beef, Harry stood and placed how much the meal was worth on the table along with a ten sickles tip before he made his way back to Knockturn Alley. His first stop was a shady looking apothecary, but then all shops in Knockturn Alley looked shady to him.

Harry bought a brewing kit that included a cauldron with several stirring and cutting implements. He bought various bottles containing blood from a number of creatures, along with boomslang skin, knottgrass and much more. The assistant recognized the ingredients he was requesting but didn't say anything as she wrapped them in nondescript brown paper. Harry calmly handed over the 41 galleons and 12 sickles that everything was worth and exited the shop without showing the rush to leave that he felt on the inside. He sighed a little as he made his way back to the inn that felt more like a hotel. He didn't take any notice of the receptionist's greeting as he walked in and silently walked up the stairs up to his room.

Once he was in side room again, Harry carefully laid his purchases out on a table that was close to the door before putting away his robes, placing his wand on the bed and tending to his new owl. He picked up the bowls that he had received along with her treats and placed some owl food in one and water in the other. The owl flew over the gray little table that Harry was kneeling at and started to eat once she saw that he wouldn't stop her.

"I think I shall call you Ras," Harry said quietly to himself as he petted the owl. A happy hoot informed him that it was acceptable and Harry smiled at her before he went back to his unpacking.

Harry set up the dining table in the far side of the room as a potions desk before he carefully laid out the knife set beside the chopping board. He then laid the ingredients out next to the cauldron which he had poured a generous amount of water into and had set to boil.

Harry went back to his bag to fish out the Half Blood Prince's potions book which be brought back to his new potions desk and laid it open beside his ingredients. He was thankful that he had the foresight to snag it from where he placed it in the room of requirements before he left Hogwarts for the summer as Harry set himself to the work at hand.

* * *

A/N. So any ideas on what he is brewing? I know in the film its Ginny that hides the book, but its Harry that hides it in the books. Also, if you hide something in the room of requirements, surely when you go looking for it the room will give it too you, as it gives you what you require right?

Ras is Welsh for grace.. I think.


	4. 4

From Within

Co-written by Jhoy and Followthedarke

Chapter 4

* * *

Harry twirled the small silver sieve between his fingers as he waited for the right moment to use it. The lacewing flies had been stewing for twenty days, twenty-three hours and fifty-five minutes. The muggle alarm clock, that he took from his former home, would be going off in five minutes to tell him to take out the stewed substance, bottle the remaining liquid and store it in a dry, even temperature place. He was nearing the end stage of his brewing but he still had so much to do.

As the alarm started to ring at his side Harry swiftly moved to sieve the remaining organic matter out of the the liquid and disposed of it in a bag that he was going to burn in a fire later. He then poured the filtrate into a flask and placed a stopper in it. 'I have two days to get the last ingredient,' Harry reminded himself as he carefully stowed the bottle away in his trunk.

He had spent a long time following his target around, both in his home and when he went out. Harry was very pleased with the person he had chosen. He was perfect for the part Harry wanted him to play. Harry had one last owl to send to Augustus Pye then he would be ready to make his move. Harry smiled at Ras as he walked over to her as she sat on her perch looking at him. The owl had shown herself to be intelligent, loyal and so friendly to others that they assumed that he had had her for ages.

He spent a few minutes standing next to her and running his fingers over her head and feathers and trying to scratch behind her ears as she sat there quietly with her eyes closed. When Harry was satisfied that he had given her enough attention, he walked over and sat down on the floor next to the coffee table. He ignored the books scattered across the surface of the table and pried some parchment out from under a book about pure blood etiquette. The ink bottle was stoppered and sitting on the side so it was easily found, but he had to look for a quill before he was able to write a quick note to the Healer.

**I'll be over today with my twin.**

**Talk to you then.**

Harry didn't sign the note or put it in an envelope. He just wrote **Healer Augustus Pye** on the other side before standing up and walking back over to Ras to have her deliver it for him. Harry knew that all the letters were being intercepted and read, but by who no one really knew. The ministry said that the Death Eaters were doing it, but they were doing it too. Anyone who really knew the ministry knew that they were doing it. That was most likely how they know that the Death Eaters were intercepting the owled post in the first place.

As Harry carried Ras into the bathroom to have her leave via that room's window. He was confident that if she was ever captured and his message was read, it wouldn't be understood. He kept his notes short and simple with out saying something other people would understand and when he had to write something longer he wrote it in a code that he and the healer had come up with before he left Hogwarts. Harry also hasn't signed anything he sent to the Healer or anyone else for that matter, for months now to make it that much harder for those who may get their hands on any of his messages to connect the dots back to him.

'Having any link to _the_ Harry James Potter was a serious risk these days,'Harry thought with a frown.

"Off you go Ras. Don't stop for anything and don't wait for a reply from Healer Augustus Pye," he told his attentive pet. She hooted once in understanding before turning around on his arm and flying out of the window. He left it open incase she made it back before he did, but place a ward on it so only his owl could enter. As Harry walked out of the bathroom his mind picked back up on what he was thinking before he sent Ras off.

Speaking of the _the _Harry James Potter, The Daily Prophet had declared him missing about two weeks ago. He wondered who missed him first and leaked it. There had been pictures that didn't look like they were obtained by any means that were honest. They seemed to have been taken through a window and showed a tear stained Hermione being held by a pale Ron as they stood in the middle of his home with a shaken looking Mrs. Weasley sitting in her favorite armchair.

It hurt Harry to see them this way but he couldn't reassure them that he was alive and well without ruining what he had already started. He may never get a chance to do it again if he stopped now. Harry wanted this all over as soon as possible and it was going to take a long time as it was. Harry looked around his room in the Black Asp, it was more his home than number four Private Drive had ever been, as he took stock of what he now needed and where they were.

Harry grabbed his dragon hide boots from their place by the door and slipped his feet into them. With the invisibility cloak tied around his shoulders and his new wand and trunk in his pocket he considered himself ready. This was when things were going to start getting hard for him, but it had to be done. He took a deep breath, pulled the hood up so he disappeared completely and left his room.

Tauri Rosier smiled at Tom the barkeep as he dusted off his robes. Tom just nodded back before he continued with what he was doing after seeing who entered his pub. _Flooing __is__ so troublesome in this colour, _Tauri thought. The season's colour was currently morning blue. While it looked horrible on most it seemed to bring his hazel eyes to life. His pallor seemed to also improve and all in all it made him look even more dashing. Tauri didn't stay in the Leaky Cauldron but went directly to the back and its stone wall. As he stepped outside he took a deep breath of fresh air that he didn't take for granted. He only got to leave the manor once a week as his mother was still convinced that the Death Eaters wanted to recruit her other children for their cause.

Fabian, his older brother, had died along side their father when they had been cornered by the Aurors. His mother had insisted that he was trying to save their father, but that wasn't the story he heard from others when Even Rosier's name was brought up. In fact it didn't seem like anyone even knew that his brother was there.

The poor woman who was his mother, hadn't been the same since her husband Evan died in the first wizarding war, taking Fabian with him. But she had started to relent lightly on some of the restrictions that she had on her second oldest son, Tauri, now that she believed them to have been forgotten by the rest of the wizarding world. He was grateful to be allowed to leave the oppressive manor he called home, and while he was experiencing this new freedom he met a witch here Diagon Alley and if he were honest with himself he was quite smitten. Gabriella Selwyn worked in Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. She replaced the last assistant there after he was cursed blind while cleaning some candlesticks he believed to be harmless. Tauri constantly worried about Gabriella but it didn't appear that he could do anything about it. Every time he told her of his concerns, she would say that it was sweet how he fussed, but that she could take care of herself and had for the year she had been working there.

He would like to offer her marriage so she wouldn't have a reason to work there at all, but he didn't feel that he could do that. His family had been in hiding for nearly a decade and their fortune had steadily dwindled away as it kept them alive and hidden for so long. He was not of high enough social standing to propose to Gabriella since most people didn't even know they existed and then there was her father. He was a known Death Eater and even though his father died bravely as one of them, he may not look that kindly on him and what is left of his family for staying out of the war and not on their side for all these years. He would never allow such a union Tauri believed. Still, Tauri visited Gabriella every Saturday at exactly 1pm. Maybe if he kept it up, he would find away to fix everything between them. Maybe hear the news that her father had been killed or other wise detained from the realm of the living.

Routine was about to be his downfall. Tauri entered Knocturn Alley as he has done for over two months now and a hand shot out of nowhere grabbing his beautiful morning blue robes and pulling him into a darker side alley. He struggled bravely but his enemy was both strong and invisible. It wasn't long before he was wrestled to the ground as he continued to fight but just making contact with air most of the time. His mother had been right, he should have been more careful, he should have noticed who was around him more. Tauri felt someone's hot breath as it moved across his cheek as his back was being pressed to the ground. They whispered word "Stupefy_,"_ and that was the last thing he was aware of.

He had done it. Harry was proud of himself at having brought him here without being seen. After making sure Tauri didn't have a second wand on him, Harry made sure that the ropes were secure as they held him to the chair since he wasn't going to stay unconscious forever. Tauri was taller but not as strong as Harry. Playing competitive quidditch had given Harry a muscular edge. Once he was satisfied with his knots Harry retrieved a vial from the desk.

"Rennervate," Harry said as he pointed his wand at the young man sitting before him. He watched as he came to and looked around. "Do you want to live Tauri?" Harry slowly asked as he allowed the sibilant edge of parseltongue enter his voice. Harry was once again in disguise and thought that this would effectively distort his voice too. The other boy nodded desperately. Harry then held the vial up in front of Tauri's face. "You will drink this, every last drop, or I will kill you and your precious Gabriella," Harry threatened. Tauri's eyes widened as he realized that the person who stood in front of him knew about Gabriella and was willing to hurt her too. He opened his mouth obediently and swallowed the potion. He even opened his mouth after wards to prove it had been completely swallowed.

"Who are you and why are you doing this to me...ughhh," Tauri started to yell before an odd pain stopped him. "I don't feel well," Tauri now whispered. Harry grimaced at the pain he was inflicting on him, but he calmed his conscience by reminding himself that he wasn't really harming him. He reached out and pulled a few brown strands from Tauri's head. With a small knife Harry now cut his palm and soaked the hairs in Tauri's blood. Harry walked them over to his make shift potions lab and added them to the goblet that he had waiting for him.

With the sounds of Tauri writhing in pain Harry took a deep breath and drank everything that was in the goblet. It had a deep gray colour but it tasted almost neutral but quickly developed a very bitter after taste. Harry swallowed again as he tried to keep it down, but he was soon rushing past a once again silent Tauri as he made his way to the bathroom, felling as though he really was going to be sick and wouldn't be able to keep it down.

When a tall brown haired youth stumbled out of the floo at Saint Mungos, everyone but Healer Augustus Pye was surprised. In his arms he held someone who appeared to be his twin.

"He's been poisoned," the boy wailed as he staggered some more before falling to his knees as he continued to hold on to his human cargo. Internally Augustus was surprised at the acting skill being displayed but on the outside he was acting as concerned as everyone else as he did his part. He manged to lead them away from the other healers and assistants when the young man said that something ran out of Knockturn Alley and had bitten his brother. Augustus levitated the unconscious young man down the hall and into a room in his ward and unto the bed with Harry right behind of him continuing to play his part of distraught sibling.

He was grateful that his own assistant wasn't present at the moment. He checked over Tauri first to make sure that he was still alive before turning his attention towards Harry. They were both healthy and the potions they took seem to be doing what they wanted them to do. A few minutes later when Tauri woke up not being able to remember his arse from his elbow, which was what they were hoping for, they were fully sure that the potion had worked.

"There's the antidote," Harry said as he handed the healer a small green vial. "Either give it to him when you hear of my death or when you receive word from me," Harry told him before turning to look at the young man that he now looked like due to the permanent polyjuice potion he drank. "He will be taken care of right?" he asked as he looked back at Healer Pye with a new set of worried eyes.

"Yes Mr. Potter. I shall transfer him to Farthilu's Hospital for Magical Injuries in America this evening. They have a specialist in brain injuries incurred from black magic there who is a friend of mine," Augustus answered as he looked at him. "I do wish you luck in whatever you are up to Mr. Potter," Augustus told him as he now stood. Harry nodded and thanked him for his help before turning and leaving the room.

Harry was glad that the potion appeared to have worked without any ill effects. He had found it scribbled in the back of the Half-Blood Prince's book. It stated that adding everlasting elixir and ground beazor to the polyjuice potion would make the effects permanent. Well permanent until the drinker drank the counter potion of course and that was written right below it.

Harry was about to floo back to his room at the Black Asp so he could quickly do what he had to when the Welcome Witch called to him from her desk.

"You can't use that to leave young man. That is only for the admittance of severe cases to the hospital. You will have to leave the normal way," she finished as he pointed him towards the front of the building.

"Yes ma'am," Harry said with his new voice before turning around and quickly leaving through the magical gateway. 'Briliant,' Harry thought as he was now left standing in the muggle world. He hadn't expected anyone to stop him from using the floo network to get back. 'There was no way to avoid this,' he told himself as he made sure the street was empty before raising his hand and summing the Knight Bus with his wand again.

He told the old man to take him to the Leaky Calderon but he didn't look at Harry until he asked for his fare. Almost as soon as they took off they arrived at his stop. Harry all but ran through the building so Tom wouldn't see him and exited into Diagon Alley. Harry knew that he couldn't walk into the Black Asp so he looked for the only story in Diagon Alley that had a working floo so he could get back to his room unseen.

There wasn't a line but as he neared it a shop clerk called out to him. Harry turned to see a young man walking towards him. He had long back hair and wore a rather friendly smile.

"Tauri Wilks," he said as he came to stop in front of Harry. Harry smiled back at the shop clerk since Tarui was generally friendly with most people he met. Tauri had been told not tell anyone his real last name so hearing himself being called 'Wilks' wasn't a surprise to Harry.

"Hi," Harry said in return since he hadn't seen Tauri come in here and didn't know the man's name. 'Keep it simple,' he told himself.

"I was wondering how much longer it was going take you to buy some flowers for your lovely young miss," he told Harry.

"Yes," Harry said as he quickly tired to think of something. "I was on my way to meet her but I remembered that I have to be somewhere else at the moment," he came up with. "I need you to deliver some flowers to her for me," he said. All the while the other guy nodded his head at story he was being told.

"Do you want to include a note with that?" he asked as he extended his hand for Harry to walk with him to a counter that was to the right of the floo.

"Of course," he answered before he quickly thought of one. "I'll explain everything later. Love T," he told him.

"Alright," the clerk said once he was done writing that down. "And what kind of flowers would you like to send that with?" he now asked Harry. There weren't any flowers in Knocturn Alley, how was he suppose to know what flowers to send her? Harry looked around and pointed a bunch that appeared to be still living but were not overly colourful. As the man turned to look at what he had pointed out, Harry dug his hands into his pocket and pulled out what he was sure was more than what everything was worth and moved to grabbed some floo power before he turned turned back around.

Harry didn't tell him good bye before he stepped into the floo and told it's his destination. Once he arrived back in his room he quickly covered himself in his invisability cloak and made his way to the Manager's office where he left a significant amount of galleons on his desk before going back to his room and packing. Midway he remembered that he hadn't told the man where to send the flowers. He made a floo call to the store and got the same man right way.

"The flowers go to Borgin and Burkes and her name is Gabriella," he said to a now very surprised looking clerk.

"Yes Mr. Wilks," he said weakly before Harry pulled his head out of the floo and returned to his packing. After he was dressed in his new pieces of clothing that he had taken off of his ill twin, he packed everything else into the trunk and locked it before shrinking and pocketing it.

Harry now once again stood in front of his fireplace. He was about to leave the Black Asp behind to advance onto the next stage of his plan. This was the dangerous stage, but for some reason Harry was excited. Maybe it was the thrill of having his life fully in his hands for the first time in his short life. He took a deep breath and flooed to a house on the outskirts of Sussex where the Rosiers where currently in hiding.

Tomorrow he would tell Mrs. Rosier of his relationship with Gabriella and his intention of joining the Death Eaters in order to marry her.

* * *

Sieve - A sieve, or sifter. Separates wanted elements from unwanted material using a woven screen such as a mesh or net.

Tauri - Constellation Taurus. Most pure-blood names are from constellations or the stars in the constellations.


End file.
